"Deal?"
Hearing the man's words, Duanmu Huai turned his head, his gaze cold and unflinching. Then he strode toward the two of them.
"With you heretics, you dare to propose a deal to an Inquisitor?"
"Uh…"
The man froze, unable to speak. He had expected Duanmu Huai to at least listen to his offer, but to his shock, the Inquisitor just kept walking, utterly unmoved.
"Stop! Or I'll kill her!"
As he spoke, the man motioned for the soldier beside him to press his gun against Ashley's forehead again. Her face turned pale as a sheet, but she couldn't say a word—because from what she knew of Duanmu Huai, this man wasn't the type to be swayed by such tactics.
"Her life or death—what's that got to do with me?"
Duanmu Huai sneered. He was an Inquisitor—he acted as one. He wasn't one of those bleeding-heart saints like the Black Lizard Order. Anyone who dared stand in the way of an Inquisitor's mission had only one fate: death.
Even if it were the Emperor himself, Duanmu Huai would judge him as a heretic.
No one could defy the Inquisition.
No one.
"D-damn it… kill him!!"
Seeing that their threat had no effect at all, the man panicked and shouted the order. The soldier beside him immediately pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets whizzed through the air, slamming into Duanmu Huai's chest—but they didn't even slow his stride. He merely glanced down at the bullet holes, brushed the dust from his coat, and continued walking as if nothing had happened.
"Damn…"
The soldier's expression darkened. He shoved Ashley aside, glaring fiercely at Duanmu Huai as his left arm began to twist and warp. In seconds, it transformed into a grotesque limb with razor-sharp claws—one of which extended like a hooked blade from the back of his hand.
"Die, monster!!"
With a roar, the soldier charged. Ashley winced, her eye twitching.
You're calling him a monster? Seriously?
Even though she wanted to laugh, she understood the soldier's reaction. His body may have been mutated, but he was still human. Duanmu Huai, though human in shape, radiated a pressure that no human should possess. It was primal, suffocating—like standing before a beast or a god.
And thanks to that, Ashley wasn't scared anymore. She was actually… anxious for the soldier.
Don't drag me into this! I'm not about to piss off that big guy too!
The mutated soldier, oblivious to her inner pleas, slashed his bladed arm toward Duanmu Huai's neck. He believed this blow could at least injure him—
—only for the blade to stop dead in its tracks.
"Huh?"
He froze. His arm trembled, the edge of the blade resting against Duanmu Huai's neck without leaving so much as a scratch. It felt less like flesh and more like he'd just struck solid steel or granite.
Duanmu Huai tilted his head slightly. He didn't speak, but his eyes said it all.
That's it?
"Haah—!!"
Realizing he was in danger, the soldier tried to retreat, but Duanmu Huai's hand shot out, grabbing the mutated arm and squeezing hard.
"AAAHHHHH!!"
A sickening crunch echoed through the air as the soldier's limb shattered like dry wood. Desperate, he kicked Duanmu Huai's chest to push off—but before he could escape, the Inquisitor's other hand grabbed his leg and slammed him into the ground.
BOOM!!
The impact rattled the earth. Dazed and half-conscious, the soldier barely had time to look up before Duanmu Huai's boot came down.
Splurt!
Blood and bone fragments sprayed across the ground. The body twitched once, then lay still.
"Y-you…"
Ashley was beyond shock—numb, really—but the robed man beside her staggered backward in terror, his face twisted in panic. Duanmu Huai tossed the corpse aside and began walking toward him.
"Who are you? What do you want from us?"
The man's composure was gone, his voice trembling.
"You want to rule the world, right? I can help you! Together, we could control everything! With these parasites, we could dominate every living being on the planet!"
"…"
"Or money? Is it money you want? I have plenty—name your price!"
"…"
"Then what do you want from me?!"
Step by step, Duanmu Huai closed the distance. Ashley suddenly noticed something writhing beneath the man's robe—a tentacle, slowly sliding behind Duanmu Huai.
"Big guy, behind you!!"
She shouted just as the tentacle shot out, wrapping around his neck. The man's robe ripped open, revealing his monstrous form—a huge eye bulged from his mouth, while multiple other tendrils lashed forward and coiled around Duanmu Huai's body.
"Die!!"
The man screamed, trying to engulf Duanmu Huai completely. But before he could move again, the Inquisitor let out a roar, his arms bursting outward and snapping the tentacles apart. Then he clapped his massive hands together—
SMACK!!
The man's head exploded between them like a crushed egg, and his body collapsed limply to the ground.
Flames roared around them, devouring everything.
"Oh God… what happened here…"
At the entrance to the village, Leon stood frozen, staring at the inferno before him. Moments ago, he'd arrived with the local police, ready to begin his mission—rescue the kidnapped Ashley. But instead of a village, he found a sea of fire. The blaze had spread through the houses and into the surrounding forest, consuming everything.
What the hell happened here? Is Ashley… dead?
As Leon and the officers exchanged bewildered looks, up on the distant hillside stood Duanmu Huai and Ashley, watching them from above. Duanmu Huai turned to her.
"Your pickup's here. You can go now."
"You're… not coming with me, big guy?"
Ashley's voice trembled. To be honest, being around him had always been terrifying—but without him, she'd never have made it out alive.
"Why don't we leave together? I could even introduce you to my father…"
"No need."
Duanmu Huai shook his head.
"We won't be meeting again. I have my own mission to complete. What you need to do now is go home. Understand?"
"So… we're not going to see each other again?"
"Unless you get captured by another heretical cult someday. Then maybe."
Yeah, no thanks.
Ashley smiled faintly at his dry reply. After a brief silence, she stepped forward and hugged him.
"Anyway… thank you, big guy. Goodbye."
She waved once, then walked down the hill.
"Rustle…"
At the foot of the slope, Leon and the two officers turned at the sound of footsteps. A figure emerged from the trees—a blonde girl covered in blood.
"Ashley?!"
Leon's eyes widened. He recognized her immediately from the photo.
But… why was she alone? And why was she drenched in blood?
"Who are you?"
Ashley eyed him warily.
"I'm here on your father's orders—to rescue you," Leon said quickly, lowering his gun. "What happened here? Are you alright, Ashley?"
"I'm fine."
She turned to glance up the hill—where Duanmu Huai had been—but the ridge was empty.
A hint of sadness flickered in her eyes. Then she looked back at Leon and forced a smile.
"Alright. Let's go. I'll tell you everything that happened here… later."
With that, Ashley spoke and followed Leon down the path.
(End of Chapter)